AS STEPHANIE Suriyanon took in the view of the Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru after climbing to 8000ft, her thoughts were never far away from mum Kathleen Jardine.

She’d decided to mark the 10th anniversary of losing her mum to breast cancer by raising funds for charity.

Investment trader Stephanie, 40, from Edinburgh, took on the gruelling four-day trip with her husband Anthony, 42, that involved trekking, climbing, cycling, rafting and zip-lining through difficult conditions to the summit.

And she raised more than £1600 for Breast Cancer Now in a bid to help stop others from losing loved ones to the disease.

Stephanie said: “I know my mum would be smiling down – she would have been proud of me.

“When I turned 40, I decided it was the time to do something that took me out of my comfort zone for a cause close to my heart.

“My wonderful mum – who lost her life to breast cancer 10 years ago – was always a bit of an adventurer and did a charity bike ride in Brazil when she was 50.

“I knew this trip would be the perfect way to remember her and raise money for breast cancer research.

“Trekking through tough terrain to a height of 8000ft was challenging but it was worth it to see the stunning scenery.

“At some points the trip was utterly terrifying, especially when we took on the highest zip line in South America and cycled through the Amazon rainforest.”

Kathleen died aged 57

Stephanie, mum to Mark, 12, and Katie, 10, is also a supporter of new fundraising initiative Now is Good by Breast Cancer Now.

It’s about bringing new and existing supporters together to commit to raising money for research into breast cancer which is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in Scotland.

More than 4600 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and around 1000 people die from the disease in Scotland each year.

Stephanie said: “I remember my mum finding a lump in 2003 but I’m a positive thinker and we thought it would be OK.

“I was heavily pregnant and when she finally got the confirmation it was cancer it was a bit of a shock but we thought hopefully we’ve caught it early.”

Kathleen had a lumpectomy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy – but the cancer returned a year later so she had a mastectomy and further chemotherapy.

Stephanie said doctors revealed four rounds of chemotherapy hadn’t worked and her mum might only have six months left. But she lost her battle just 10 days later at the age of 57 in 2005.

Young Stephanie with her mum

A month later, Stephanie gave birth to her daughter, and chose the name Katie after her mum.

Cash raised from the trek in October means Kathleen’s name will be on the charity’s remembrance wall in Edinburgh.

Mary Allison, Scottish director at Breast Cancer Now, said: “Breast cancer is a heartbreaking disease. When we hear about another friend or family member whose life has been lost we often ask ourselves, couldn’t we do something more to end this? Breast Cancer Now believe that together we can.

“Whether it’s trekking like Stephanie, organising events, holding collections, wearing fancy dress to work, putting on a bake sale, cycling or even skydiving – whatever it is that helps to raise money – now is good.

“With every pound we raise we’re powering research that’s finding new ways to prevent, detect and treat breast cancer until the day that no one will die from breast cancer.”